(Brian Lawless / PA via AP).
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Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello had been six under par with two holes to play only to find water off the tee on the 17th to run up a double bogey before the suspension. But nothing could take away from the brilliance of the world number three’s stunning performance at the K Club.
The Welshman ended on 9-under 279, three shots back from victor Rory McIlroy, to confirm a second runners-up effort at the Irish Open and a third in Ireland itself.
It was his first victory as a professional on Irish soil and his first since claiming last November’s European Tour season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy, his playing partner, birdied the same hole to retain his three-shot advantage before Knox birdied the 5th to reduce the gap, with both players then dropping a shot on the 6th. McIlroy grinned and brushed away a tear or two as he approached the green.
When McIlroy calmly converted his only eagle of the tournament, he stood still and silent for a second.
McIlroy becomes the first player to win a European Tour event he has hosted and he will donate his winning prize of €666,660 to the Rory Foundation. Let’s make a pot of early Sunday morning coffee and watch Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett duke it out. His previous best was seventh place in 2008.
McIlroy nearly span his approach off the green and into the water before missing from six feet for par, and although Knox then three-putted, the Scot quickly made amends with a birdie on the eighth.
McIlroy had moved to nine under par with a second birdie of his round at the 10th hole and on return following the second stoppage.
“I was taking a risk….”
“It means an very bad lot”, McIlroy said. “The ovation I got when that ball landed on the 16th green sent shivers down my spine”. McIlroy shot a final-round three-under par 69. That was the turning point in the round and the tournament. “Hopefully I can take this form into the summer”.
“I worked extremely hard to get in and around the top 50 and it’s nice to know you can do it, so it’s just about finding the right formula to do it more often”.
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McIlroy was emotional afterwards as he pledged his winnings of over 650,000 Euros to the Rory Foundation (which also played host to the tournament).
